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Elves
Elves are the second most widespread species on Maíandir, and are widely considered the first to substantially settle the core regions in the central parts of the continent. There are various factions of elves scattered all the way from Samarkhet to Ravnmark, often in organised societies and structured cities, towns, and villages. Description As a very widespread race that has evolved independently to adapt to their surroundings, Elves vary widely in appearance. On average, they are taller and more slender than humans, though this is not the case for certain subraces. Their features are typically more graceful and fine, with more elegant curves and angles than the typical human. Culture & Society History Subraces High Elves High Elves, or ''Elvedel'', are the predominant subrace of elvenkind. The culture originates from the regions around Norfeld Reach, Lydfel, and notably the Elvedel Crownlands. Due to the integration of cultures over the course of the Elven Empire's history, High Elves can be found anywhere that elves have settled. As the dominant gene in the elven bloodline, they progressively have become more widespread over time, mingling with other sub-races and replacing them over several generations. High Elves are tall and fair-skinned. They average between just under 5 feet to just above 6 feet in height, and often have slender and graceful builds. They often have hair of silver-white or black, but various shades of blond, brown, or red are not uncommon. Eye colours tend towards lighter shades of violet, green, grey, brown, or gold. Wood Elves Wood Elves, or ''Arlans'', are a relatively small subrace of elvenkind. The culture originates from the regions around South Arlia, Luinfeld, Windermere, and North Arlia. At a time, Wood Elves were almost as common as High Elves, but due to the massive conflicts in the early history of the Argent Basin many were wiped out. Furthermore, as a recessive gene, their numbers have only dwindled as the two populations have mingled together. Wood Elves are shorter than High Elves, and tend to have darker, copper-hued skin. They average between under 5 feet to 5 and a half feet in height, with typically lithe, squatter builds. Their hair colours are darker, tending towards browns, blacks, and the occasional copper. Their eyes are often green, brown, or hazel. Sea Elves Sea Elves, or ''Sceída'', are the least common subrace of elvenkind. The culture originates from the region of Scedon, and has expanded into the southern parts of the tundras to the north, having close relationships with the Hill Dwarves of Lor Dulhir, and frequent squabbles with the Skraelingi Tribes. Sea Elves are a very proud people, and have remained fairly separate from mainland elves. They are notoriously good seafarers, raiders, and pirates. Their main targets were often villages along the coast of the Argent Basin, but this has naturally shifted to Kyoshai and Samarkhet following their annexation into the empire. Sea Elves are the tallest elven subrace, averaging between 5 feet to well over 6 feet in height, with bulky and well-muscled frames. They often have heavily-tanned, bronzed skin from long days on the open seas, with hair of copper, black, or golden blond. Their eyes range from icy blue to hazel, often with tinges of silver. Sun Elves Sun Elves, or ''Mordael'', are the only elven subrace that were not a major part of the Elven Empire. The culture originates from the region of Samarkhet, centred around the city of Sol Kalahar and the Oasis of First Light. Before the Axios invasion, Sun Elves were significantly less common in Maíandir. The mixture of refugees travelling westward and a newfound independence from the empire boomed into a thriving society in the desert. Disciplined and strictly traditional, they guard their borders and culture fiercely. Sun Elves are physically quite similar to High Elves, but are dark-skinned and slightly shorter on average. Hair colours are often in shades of black and brown, with curlier or frizzier hair being commonplace. Facial hair on males is also culturally widespread. Their eyes vary from olive green to dark browns. Crossbreeds Half-Elves Though there is a great deal of mistrust between elves and humans, the coupling of the two is not uncommon, and has become even more commonplace since the signing of the Triskele Treaty. With the versatility of humans and the tenacity of elves, half-elves often find themselves excluded, fitting into either side but somehow being shunned by both. Of the many races of Maíandir, half-elves are relatively recent, coming into play following the invasion of the Marble Vale. Though some previous cases had occurred during interactions between the Domari Sovereignty and the Elven Empire, the majority of half-elves find their roots in the many wars between north and south. Ever since the start of the peace, this number has surged, particularly with many humans fleeing north to escape the harsh doctrine of the Vigil Inquisition, which frowns greatly upon the coupling of humans with the "impure" races, such as elves. For a half-elf living in the Elven Empire, the nature of their birth tends to make them an object of distrust. Although elves do not necessarily believe humans to be inferior, the long history of conflict causes issues, especially for a race with such long lifespans and memories. Half-elves seldom rise to positions of power, although a fair few have earned their place in society. Some half-elves believe in the War of Ashes, and some do not. Their attitude depends greatly on their upbringing. Those brought up in the Protectorate would have scarcely heard of the stories, and tend to be more sceptical, whereas those brought up further north are the opposite. Other Variants Eladrin Eladrin are a rarity amongst elven births as they stem from planar influence on one or both of the parents, in this case influence from one of the Elemental Planes. The child retains much of the features of a normal elf, but also has distinct particularities that are highly indicative of the nature of their birth. This can range from different shades of skin (similar to Genasi) to notable personality traits and elemental powers. Following the events of the War of Ashes in Northern Maíandir, unbeknownst to the participants themselves, the massive amounts of energy used to fuel the end of the war sent rippling effects through the arcana, causing a compounding disturbance that culminated in the four elemental planes seeping into the material plane, notably around the region of Kyoshai. While the effects of this planar disturbance are less pronounced in traditional elven territories, it does still occasionally cause the birth of Eladrin children. The chaotic nature of Eladrin often causes them to seek freedom from the confines of society, and many find themselves wandering the wilds in search of fulfilment. Often this path leads them back to the planes which caused their birth, which is ultimately where they feel most comfortable and at home. Shadar-kai Properties High Elves * Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Intelligence score increases by 1. * Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet. * Darkvision. Accustomed to twilit forests and the night sky, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray. * Keen Senses. You have proficiency in the Perception skill. * Fey Ancestry. You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep. * Trance. Elves don’t need to sleep regularly. Instead, they meditate deeply, remaining semiconscious, for 4 hours a day. While meditating, you can dream after a fashion; such dreams are actually mental exercises that have become reflexive through years of practice. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep, however if done too regularly this trance state can have adverse effects. * Elf Weapon Training. You have proficiency with the longsword, shortsword, shortbow, and longbow. * Cantrip. You know one cantrip of your choice from the wizard spell list. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for it. * Extra Language. You can speak, read, and write one extra language of your choice. Wood Elves * Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Wisdom score increases by 1. * Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet. * Darkvision. Accustomed to twilit forests and the night sky, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray. * Keen Senses. You have proficiency in the Perception skill. * Fey Ancestry. You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep. * Trance. Elves don’t need to sleep regularly. Instead, they meditate deeply, remaining semiconscious, for 4 hours a day. While meditating, you can dream after a fashion; such dreams are actually mental exercises that have become reflexive through years of practice. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep, however if done too regularly this trance state can have adverse effects. * Elf Weapon Training. You have proficiency with the longsword, shortsword, shortbow, and longbow. * Fleet of Foot. Your base walking speed increases to 35 feet. * Mask of the Wild. You can attempt to hide even when you are only lightly obscured by foliage, heavy rain, falling snow, mist, and other natural phenomena. Sea Elves * Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Constitution score increases by 1. * Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet. * Darkvision. Accustomed to twilit forests and the night sky, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray. * Keen Senses. You have proficiency in the Perception skill. * Fey Ancestry. You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep. * Trance. Elves don’t need to sleep regularly. Instead, they meditate deeply, remaining semiconscious, for 4 hours a day. While meditating, you can dream after a fashion; such dreams are actually mental exercises that have become reflexive through years of practice. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep, however if done too regularly this trance state can have adverse effects. * Sea Raider Training. You have proficiency with the longsword, battleaxe, warspear, and shields. * Child of the Sea. You have a swimming speed of 30 feet, and you can breathe air and water. * Born to Sail. ''You have proficiency with Vehicles (water). Sun Elves * ''Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Charisma score increases by 1. * Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet. * Keen Senses. You have proficiency in the Perception skill. * Fey Ancestry. You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep. * Trance. Elves don’t need to sleep regularly. Instead, they meditate deeply, remaining semiconscious, for 4 hours a day. While meditating, you can dream after a fashion; such dreams are actually mental exercises that have become reflexive through years of practice. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep, however if done too regularly this trance state can have adverse effects. * Mordael Magic. You know the dancing lights cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the faerie fire spell once per day. When you reach 5th level, you can also cast the dust devil spell once per day. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells. * Mordael Weapon Training. You have proficiency with spears, scimitars, and hand crossbows. * Child of the Desert. ''You have advantage on Survival checks made to find food and water in desert regions. Half-Elves * ''Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 2, and two other ability scores of your choice increase by 1. * Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet. * Darkvision. Thanks to your elf blood, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray. * Fey Ancestry. You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep. * Skill Versatility. You gain proficiency in two skills of your choice. Eladrin * Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Charisma score increases by 1. * Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet. * Keen Senses. You have proficiency in the Perception skill. * Fey Ancestry. You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep. * Trance. Elves don’t need to sleep regularly. Instead, they meditate deeply, remaining semiconscious, for 4 hours a day. While meditating, you can dream after a fashion; such dreams are actually mental exercises that have become reflexive through years of practice. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep, however if done too regularly this trance state can have adverse effects. * Fey Step. As a bonus action, you can magically teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see. Once you use this trait, you can't do so again until you finish a short or long rest. When you reach 3rd level, your Fey Step gains an additional effect based on your element; if the effect requires a saving throw, the DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier: ** Earth. Immediately after you use your Fey Step, up to two creatures of your choice that you can see within 10 feet of you must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by you for 1 minute, or until you or your companions deal any damage to it. ** Ice. When you use your Fey Step, one creature of your choice that you can see within 5 feet of you before you teleport must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be frightened of you until the end of your next turn. ** Air. When you use your Fey Step, you can touch one willing creature within 5 feet of you. That creature then teleports instead of you, appearing in an unoccupied space of your choice that you can see within 30 feet of you. ** Fire. Immediately after you use your Fey Step, each creature of your choice that you can see within 5 feet of you takes fire damage equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1 damage). Shadar-kai * Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Constitution score increases by 1. * Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet. * Keen Senses. You have proficiency in the Perception skill. * Fey Ancestry. You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep. * Trance. Elves don’t need to sleep regularly. Instead, they meditate deeply, remaining semiconscious, for 4 hours a day. While meditating, you can dream after a fashion; such dreams are actually mental exercises that have become reflexive through years of practice. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep, however if done too regularly this trance state can have adverse effects. * Necrotic Resistance. You have resistance to necrotic damage. * Blessing of the Raven Queen. As a bonus action, you can magically teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see. Once you use this trait, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest. Starting at 3rd level, you also gain resistance to all damage when you teleport using this trait. The resistance lasts until the start of your next turn. During that time, you appear ghostly and translucent. Category:Races Category:History Category:Culture & Society __FORCETOC__